Board of ElectionsNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Board of ElectionsWed, 31 Aug 2016 23:30:49 +0000Board of Electionshttp://ripr.org
Ian DonnisRI Board Of Elections Set To Discuss Director Kando's Status At Agencyhttp://ripr.org/post/ri-board-elections-set-discuss-director-kandos-status-agency
72150 as http://ripr.orgWed, 31 Aug 2016 12:48:55 +0000RI Board Of Elections Set To Discuss Director Kando's Status At AgencyIan Donnis Baseball is back, and the contact sport of politics continues unabated. Thanks for stopping by for my weekly column. As usual, your tips and comments are welcome, and you can follow me through the week on the twitters. Here we go. 1. In a year of anti-establishment sentiment among voters, can a first-time candidate use shoe leather and an anti-incumbent message to oust the long-serving state rep who also serves as chairman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party? That's the question raised by David Mastriano's forthcoming challenge to state Rep. Joe McNamara (D-Warwick), a popular vote-getter who has served in the House since taking office in 1995. A West Warwick native, Mastriano, 46, said he moved to Warwick in 2005 and works as the environmental health and safety director for nursing home in North Kingstown. He said he was tempted to move South because of Rhode Island's business climate, but decided to stay, because, "you know something, we need to fight back." A self-describedTGIF: 22 Things To Know About Rhode Island Politics & Mediahttp://ripr.org/post/tgif-22-things-know-about-rhode-island-politics-media-3
65795 as http://ripr.orgFri, 08 Apr 2016 20:52:21 +0000TGIF: 22 Things To Know About Rhode Island Politics John BenderThe executive director of the state’s Board of Elections could face termination, if he doesn’t improve his job performance. The board voted to put director Bob Kando on a probationary period in June. The group chose to disclose the vote at their meeting this Wednesday Board of elections member Stephen Erickson says among several issues, the board felt Kando did not comply properly with ethics laws. “It is my hope that we will be more active in promoting fair and open and accessible elections in the future,” said Erikson. “And one of the ways we can do that is by changing the leadership of the board.” Erikson said the board has since chosen to give Kando extra time to improve, and will be reevaluated in January. “The vote was unanimous to give him some additional time, but to expand the scope of behavior that we were going to examine to all aspects of his job performance,” said Erikson. Kando has served as the board’s executive director since 2005, and makes about $140,000 dollars aBoard Of Elections To Terminate Director If Job Performance Does Not Improvehttp://ripr.org/post/board-elections-terminate-director-if-job-performance-does-not-improve
56735 as http://ripr.orgThu, 17 Sep 2015 12:56:49 +0000Board Of Elections To Terminate Director If Job Performance Does Not ImproveJohn BenderSecretary of State Nellie Gorbea has unveiled legislation aimed at reforming Rhode Island’s voting laws. Gorbea promised to modernize the voting system during her campaign. The proposed legislation brings online voter registration to Rhode Island. Residents would enter a database that can be updated when people move out of town or out of state. Gorbea said that would reduce redundancies in the voter rolls. Another part of the bill would add early in-person, and weekend voting in the weeks leading up to Election Day. Gorbea said the goal is to make voting more accessible to working people. “We absolutely have to make it easier for people to cast their ballot in a way that also protects the integrity of the system, in a way that also protects the integrity of the system, and I think these measures do both,” said Gorbea. The legislation would also restrict the number of people allowed to handle absentee ballots, to the voter, family and the postal service. Several years ago Rhode IslandSec. Of State Introduces Voting Reform Legislationhttp://ripr.org/post/sec-state-introduces-voting-reform-legislation
49447 as http://ripr.orgWed, 15 Apr 2015 12:57:10 +0000Sec. Of State Introduces Voting Reform LegislationIan DonnisCandidates who’ve run for office owe a total of more than $2 million in fines to the state Board of Elections for past-due campaign reports. The board collected about $43,000 in fines last year. Former South Kingstown State Senator Patrick McDonald owes the most – nearly $214,000 -- in the Board of Election’s newly posted list of outstanding fines. The outlook for collecting that money is considered bleak as McDonald is currently serving prison time for embezzlement. Another state senator who ran afoul of the law, John Celona of North Providence, is the number 2 scofflaw, with more than $175,000 in outstanding fines. The president of the Providence City Council, Luis Aponte, owes about $48,000 in fines. Board finance head Richard Thornton says the board lacks power to enforce the collection of fines, although taking offenders to court has sometimes proven more effective. Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please email us, we'd like to hear from you. news@ripr.org Candidates Owe More Than $2M In Fines To RI Board Of Electionshttp://ripr.org/post/candidates-owe-more-2m-fines-ri-board-elections
49105 as http://ripr.orgWed, 08 Apr 2015 12:48:39 +0000Candidates Owe More Than $2M In Fines To RI Board Of ElectionsIan DonnisA councilor who hopes to be the next president of the Providence City Council says he will pay off nearly 50-thousand dollars in fines owed to the state Board of Elections. Ward 10 Councilman Luis Aponte has represented Washington Park and parts of South Providence since first winning election in 1998. During that time, Aponte has racked up nearly 50-thousand dollars in Board of Election fines for not filing campaign fundraising reports. Aponte said it’s time for him to deal with the issue. “I understand that it is my obligation. I own that I didn’t do them. I am in the process of making sure that all the reports are submitted completely and hope to go before the board and begin to address the fines,” said Aponte. Aponte blames the lack of reports partly on not raising money in recent years and not knowing if he would seek re-election. He hopes to be the new president when the council chooses a new leader in January. Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please email us, we'dProvidence City Councilor To Pay $50K In Fines To Board Of Electionshttp://ripr.org/post/providence-city-councilor-pay-50k-fines-board-elections
42113 as http://ripr.orgTue, 11 Nov 2014 14:15:50 +0000Providence City Councilor To Pay $50K In Fines To Board Of ElectionsIan DonnisThe Rhode Island Republican Party has taken its complaint over a campaign commercial for gubernatorial candidate Gina Raimondo to the state Board of Elections. Democrats insist they’re not doing anything wrong. The state GOP is using an online video to highlight the similarity between one of Raimondo’s primary ads and one currently being aired by the state Democratic Party. While Senator Jack Reed makes a brief appearance in the latest spot, Republicans say the commercial is meant to help Raimondo. The GOP says that’s a problem since federal campaign funds can be spent only for federal candidates, not those seeking a state office like governor. The head of Rhode Island Democrats’ coordinated campaign, state Representative Joe Shekarchi, says the Republicans are wrong, since the ad they’re criticizing is governed by federal law. Shekarchi says the ad will remain on TV until the end of its scheduled run later this week. The state GOP has filed a complaint about the ad with the stateGOP Files Complaint Over Raimondo Television Adhttp://ripr.org/post/gop-files-complaint-over-raimondo-television-ad
40346 as http://ripr.orgThu, 02 Oct 2014 13:40:52 +0000GOP Files Complaint Over Raimondo Television AdJohn BenderIn Rhode Island a group of design students barely old enough to vote are working on projects that could potentially affect the future of Presidential elections. For this month’s Artscape, Rhode Island Public Radio’s John Bender profiles a class that is trying to tackle the problem of a better ballot. On the third floor of a building in downtown Providence, a group of a dozen or so students from the Rhode Island School of Design, also known as RISD are giving their final presentations for a class called VoteLab: Designing for Democracy. The group presenting worked specifically to design a more user-friendly ballot. “Welcome to the very first state of the ballot address. It all began on one stuffy day in the sunshine state where the electorate of Palm Beach County shuffled to polling stations for the general election of 2000.” The class was conceived by a pair of seniors who spent their summer researching the issue with the Rhode Island Board of Elections. They felt the issue was soRhode Island Artscape: Designing Better Ballotshttp://ripr.org/post/rhode-island-artscape-designing-better-ballots
29740 as http://ripr.orgThu, 27 Feb 2014 13:48:26 +0000Rhode Island Artscape: Designing Better BallotsFlo JonicRhode Island elections director Bob Kando gets to keep his job, but he first had to endure a dressing down from his bosses, the Board of Elections. The board felt Kando exceeded his executive authority when he presented lawmakers with a package of elections-related bills. The Board of Elections, meeting in executive session, reminded its director, Bob Kando that drafting a legislative agenda is their job, not his. Kando had forwarded a package of bills to the General Assembly without the board’s approval. Board chair Frank Rego says the panel is happy with 99.9% of Kando’s performance, but took issue with this. “It was a very positive meeting. You know it’s like having a family meeting and every so often families need to sit down and talk over things,” says Rego. “And that’s all it was. Again, there were no votes taken. I think people thought there was going to be the rolling of heads but that was never the intent.” Rego says the elections director was understanding and was upset thatBoard of Elections Director to Keep His Jobhttp://ripr.org/post/board-elections-director-keep-his-job
11802 as http://ripr.orgTue, 12 Mar 2013 18:16:51 +0000Board of Elections Director to Keep His Job